By Anne Watson Why am I talking about linear equations? Thinking about them takes me to several important hidden threads in school mathematics, wondering how learners might pull ideas together meaningfully. It is also helpful that there has been some research about ‘solving’ them. What is linear anyway? I started by searching textbooks and the […]
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By Rehana Akhtar It has always been a recurring thought to me over my years of teaching as to ‘Why do pupils need to be re-taught and why do they not retain key skills and concepts?’ The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study by OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and […]
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The 2018 PISA results see England moving up the PISA leader board for mathematics. After several years of intensive focus and investment from the DfE, particularly in Primary maths, this is welcome news. However, the trends underlying the headline results remind us that improving student outcomes in mathematics is a long game. Singapore continue to reap the benefits […]
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The best mathematical tasks are often elegantly simple. Bells and whistles are not needed and, indeed, often they are distractions from the intended learning. To keep a task focused, thought should be given to the following questions: What do I want the children to learn?What might be the ‘bumps in the road’ that could cause […]
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Lucy Durrant, Assistant Head Teacher and Maths Lead at Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School in Croydon, tells us about how she and her colleagues use Inspire Maths and MyMaths to support their maths teaching. Tell us a bit about your school. Winterbourne Junior Girls’ School is a junior school in Croydon with over 270 pupils. In 2015 Ofsted rated […]
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The draft Curriculum for Wales has now been released, and as educators we finally have the What Matters statements for the new Areas of Learning Experience (AOLE). The Mathematics and Numeracy AOLE is segregated into four subsections of mathematics: The number system is used to represent and compare relationships between numbers and quantitiesAlgebra uses symbol systems to express the structures of relationships between […]
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We understand that maths anxiety can be a real concern for teachers, parents and children, which is why we are committed to finding ways to make everyone feel more positive about numbers. Derry Richardson, Head of Professional Development at Oxford University Press provides her top tips for helping combat maths anxiety in the classroom Being […]
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Sally Smith, Maths Lead and Year 6 teacher at Old Town Primary School in Hebden Bridge, tells us about how she uses MyMaths to support her maths teaching. Tell us a bit about your school and class.Old Town is a primary school in West Yorkshire with around 100 pupils. I currently teach Year 6 and prior […]
Read moreFrom last year’s headline figures and the increasing grade boundaries it seems that most pupils are being prepared well for the new(ish) 9–1 Maths GCSE. A benefit of the course is that it provides welcome additional challenge for the most able pupils, preparing them better for future study. However, some teachers are concerned about how […]
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If a week is a long time in politics, then 21 years must be an eternity. Yet I can still remember the furore when Stephen Byers – then education secretary – was interviewed on the radio about government plans to improve numeracy in school and got his calculations wrong. No journalists have tried to trip […]
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